Labor backs Truth in Bargaining

The RTBU's campaign for Truth in Bargaining received a huge boost at the ALP National Conference when Labor endorsed Truth in Bargaining as part of its policy platform for the next Federal election.

After some intense negotiations behind the scenes, the Conference endorsed an amendment to the draft platform put forward by the RTBU. The final clause in the Platform stated:

"Labor believes in the right to collective bargaining in good faith ... To that end, Labor believes that truth in bargaining will be assisted by a disclosure framework, with appropriate safeguards, for information that is relied on in denying a workforce claim during negotiations."

Speaking to the amendment at the National Conference, Victorian Branch Secretary Luba Grigorovitch said laws needed to be changed to restore confidence in the enterprise bargaining system.

"The reason we need to force some employers to act honestly is because we've seen too many examples of companies crying poor to their employees, while boasting about rivers of gold to their shareholders", Luba said.

"The US already has laws like this. If employers are using information to justify their arguments in a negotiation, then unions have a right to ask for it, and employers have an obligation to provide it."

"The United States isn't exactly renown for its pro-union labour laws, but even they think that requiring bosses to support their arguments with facts is not too much to ask."

National Secretary Bob Nanva said the union would continue work constructively with Shadow Workplace Relations Minister Brendan O'Connor.

"Getting a commitment to Truth in Bargaining into the ALP National Platform has been a huge achievement, but we will not stop until this policy is written into Australian law,” Bob said."